tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

still hanging around

Going to have to put that bird back in the air again....

mbgbe696

I'm doing my final stuff this weekend ,plan to run engine this week and test fly next weekend   

clockguypete

Very cool! I plan to continue my build than weekend too! I mowed the grass at our flying field this morning, we have a 700' x 125' runway plus two (K) runways intersecting the main one. Flew a DeNight special plane around for awhile before heading to work. Looking forward to the Gee Bee next.

mbgbe696

Sounds like a nice field,I took a break for a little while so now out flying my skybolt.  

clockguypete

Glad your flying! I just received a gp super skybolt this week too! Another building project lol. Do you think a saito .91 four stroke (boxer) is enough engine to fly this plane? I have been getting a little flying time in myself, but I am back at the bench working on my Gee Be today and tomorrow. Pete

mbgbe696

Yes, I fly mine with a OS 91 4 stroke. Perfect for this plane. You will love the skybolt, flys great, I love it

mbgbe696

I used the decals supplied except for the letter 4 that went on the wing, it is to small, not the correct size and just looked stupid. So am having a guy in our club make the Correct size 4 from vinyl .

clockguypete

I noticed the same problem with the # 4 being too small, so I ordered a second decal sheet from horizon hobby for about $6.00 us. Received the second decal sheet fine, but there is a wider red border around all the letters and numbers compared to the sheet included in my kit, so now I have to carefully trim half the width of the red border from all edges of the # 4 to match the other numbers! It will work fine, but was surprised to find the replacement decal sheet slightly different from the one shipped with my plane. Thanks for the confirmation on engine size for the skybolt. :-).

clockguypete

Worked all day on my Gee Bee build. Installed engine, TME smoke system, all plumbing , fuel dots, vent tubes that extend out the bottom of the fuslage, throttle linkage & servo, smoke tank, fuel tank, rudder servo, cowel and cowel ring. Found out I cannot do the magnetic quick release cowel as Stephano did, since my Pitts muffler pipes prevent me from pulling it straight out. Darn, I really liked that design he came up with too. I ended up with 4-40 bolts and blind nuts to secure my cowl. The 16 oz. smoke oil tank is above the servo tray, and 24 oz. glo fuel tank is below the servo tray. Tyraps surround both tanks, and hold them tightly together against foam on either side of servo tray. I ran and tested this entire system before installing in the plane. Believe me, I do not look forward to removeing the smoke tank anytime soon! It is deep inside this bird, and routing all the plumbing was a nightmare hehehe.

clockguypete

More photo's from today

lomcevac540T

My Feedback: (1)

Looking good!
The weather was crappy here all weekend so I didn't get to put any more flights on mine. I am getting ready to head to Joe Nall next week and plan to take mine there to get a few more flights on it. What a great place to fly! Will try to get some good pics of it there.

clockguypete

Some of our club members are going to Joe Nall this year. A friend of mine just bought a camper, and we are planning a trip to Oshkosh AirVenture in July. We just did the Toledo RC show, so it is too much to squeeze in Nall this year. Maybe once I see how the camping trailer works out, I will make Joe Nall a must see next year! Our flyiing weather is pefect this week, and it was hard to stay in building the Gee Bee all weekend, but I am determined to get it finished!

lomcevac540T

My Feedback: (1)

Not sure how much electric stuff you are into , but the E-Week at Triple Tree is a great show to attend as well. It's like the electric Joe Nall. Not as crowded but you get to fly as much as you want. I use it as my vacation week. Very relaxing to go camp for a week.

clockguypete

I prefer the fueled engine sounds, but I do fly a DeNight Special with an Eflight 60, a Toledo Special with an Eflight 52, and Eflight Ulitmate Bipe, FlyZone Dehaviland Beaver foamy, and a radian pro electric powered glider. I dabbled in the Electrics last year, and nice to have some planes to participate in our annual electric fun fly! I just got back into the hobby a year ago after a 23 year absence, and now find myself hopelessly addicted with a fleet of 14 airplanes lol! of all my electrics, the Toledo Special is hands down, the best flying airplane of the bunch! It rocks with a 52 in it, and performs any aerobatics you want to try!

lomcevac540T

My Feedback: (1)

I have one of the FlyZone Dehaviland Beavers, and that is my favorite airplane to fly at dusk off of the pond! Looks cool with the lights reflecting off of the pond. I will have it at Joe Nall too. I guess you can see I am excited! lol I am only about 2 hrs drive from so it is a littler easier for me.

maneba

Hi, i'm overloaded with work and i've not much time.
I've received williams brothers dummy engine but my twin engine is too near to the front and i've not space to install it.
I'm stopped at the installation of the wing fillets. They are the ugliest part of this plane.
I don't know if to fly without or make some work to improve them. I'm thinking to place them in position and fill them with poliuretanic spray foam

clockguypete

I checked the dimentions, and think I understand your clearance issue with the engine. No matter what engine you install, the position of the williams bothers dummy engine crank case will have to be sacrificed a little in order to allow the engine drive hub to extend through so the cowel fits on. I would use a dremel or similar roto tool with a 1/2 inch sanding disc to gradually open up the center of the crank case until the prop drive hub clears through it to reach the front edge of the cowl. You will loose some crank case detail, but the rest of the dummy engine looks so much better than the one supplied with the ARF, I would stick with it for the cylinder head looks. Hope this helps, and provides a possible solution for you. I have not installed my wing fairings yet, but I have read some guys had to do a little trimming to get them to fit flush to the fuse, and wing. I am hoping to tape them to the fuse with blue painters tape along the seam, once aligned properly, then begin gluing them securely from the inside, to prevent messy glue from oozing onto the fuse. Pete

mbgbe696

I used thin CA with applicator tips and accelerator spray. taking my time and working small areas turn out great, but not the easiest thingI'vedone. just don't get in a hurry .

clockguypete

Making a little more progress on my GeeBee Z. Installed the elevator, rudder, all servo's, neatly secured all wiring inside. Installed MPI receiver switch with charge jack and voltage meter, and a second MPI switch/charge jack for smoke pump battery. Installed a remote glow jack that will be just about hidden when cowl is in place. Did not want to cut any more holes in the cowel. Programmed the radio, and set all the throws, and dual rates/expo. Decided to customize my large Ohio tail wheel, since it was to big for this plane. Tried to anneal the strip of metal and shorten and bend it to the shape I needed, but it still broke. Made a new piece from 3/16 in. aluminum stock, and bolted it to the business end of the wheel assy. Used a 4-40 threaded rod through the hardwood in rudder, instead of the big ugly nylon Dubro control horns supplied with the Ohio kit. Built the dummy engine assy, and painted some details on it, like the cooling fins, nuts on the crank case, silver on the pushrods. looks pretty good from 5' away :-) Sorry, the RCU server would not allow me to upload photo's today. Will try to add them later.

lomcevac540T

My Feedback: (1)

sounds like you been busy!

lomcevac540T

My Feedback: (1)

Got three more flights on her this weekend. Planning to head to Joe Nall tomorrow.

clockguypete

Looks sharp Ronnie! I like the vess prop you hung on it ;-). Btw, did you have to cut or trim any part of the wing fairings to make them fit better? Mine are fighting me trying to line them up to fit flush all the way around when wing installed.

lomcevac540T

My Feedback: (1)

Well to put it nicely, the fairings suck
I cut mine out the best I could, put some RC56 canopy glue on the wing saddle only and bolted the wing on with the fairings in place. This way I could put pressure on them with the wing and get them in the right place, then I let it set up over night. The next day I used the thin CA and worked on it inch by inch glueing the top in place. I had to make a little pusher block to hold the fairing in place while I wicked the thin CA in. Seemed to work ok, but I wish they fit better. Mine turned out pretty good but it took quite a bit of time to get them right.

clockguypete

Thanks for the tips, so now I have installed my wing fairings! I reversed the procedure and installed the wing, trimmed and tucked the fairings in place, held with a little painters tape, the CA'd all around. Removed the wing, added a good amount of canopy glue in between fuse and fairing and reassembled for the night. This way I can work on something else while it dries! They look ok, but not perfect ;-). What a nightmare. I was able to upload some picks from yesterday's work mentioned in previous post!

clockguypete

Starting to look like a gee bee z! Photo of the great planes period pilot I chose to use.